‘Don’t teach us the game’: Jaishankar calls out Europe, US over double standards on Russian oil

External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Thursday strongly defended India’s purchase of Russian oil, rejecting Western criticism over New Delhi’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine war and accusing Europe of applying double standards on security and energy issues.

Speaking at the Kultaranta Talks in Finland during a discussion on “Emerging Powers and the New Geopolitical Competition”, Jaishankar was asked about India’s continued imports of Russian crude and whether New Delhi had been overly sympathetic towards Moscow.

In response, Jaishankar said India’s decisions were driven by energy security and economic realities rather than geopolitical preferences.

“I buy oil based on cost and availability. At that point, much of the oil available in the market was Russian because European countries were buying oil from the Middle East, which had traditionally been our supplier. Circumstances pushed us in a certain direction,” he said.

‘Europe sells weapons used against India’

Jaishankar also took aim at what he described as Europe’s inconsistent approach towards India’s security concerns.

“No European country has been attacked with Indian weapons. I wish I could say the same about weapons from Europe vis-à-vis India,” he remarked.

When asked to elaborate, the minister pointed to Western arms exports in India’s neighbourhood.

“Europe sells weapons that are used to attack India. Not just now, but for many years. We Indians have never done anything to endanger Europe. I think that’s a reasonable point,” he said.

‘We know how the game is played’

Recalling developments following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Jaishankar said the United States had privately encouraged India to continue buying Russian crude to help stabilise global oil markets and contain inflation triggered by sanctions on Moscow.

“People should also remember that, at that time, the United States specifically asked India to buy Russian oil to help stabilise global markets,” he said.

Taking a swipe at shifting Western positions on Russian energy, Jaishankar added: “If the policy is on one day and off the next—do it when it suits us and don’t do it when it doesn’t—then come on, we’re all adults in the room. We know how the game is played.”

He argued that debates over energy trade were often framed as matters of principle only when it suited certain countries.

“So I don’t think this is really about principles or moral sanctimony,” he said, questioning what he described as the selective application of moral standards in global trade and sanctions policies.

The minister maintained that complex issues such as energy security must be viewed through a practical lens, with countries prioritising their national interests and economic stability.